The Love of a Traitor
by TartanLassie
Summary: Steamboy fanfic - OC (Charlotte) X David - This is a slow start, I'm afraid. The first two chapters are just an edited version of the film, with Charlotte in it. However if you're interested, keep reading. The love of Charlotte's life, David, betrayed their boss, Mr Stephenson and has own plans. Charlotte loves David but Mr Stephenson saved her life... What can she do?
1. Chapter 1

Mr Stephenson, Mr David and Ray walked over the gangplank and back into the city. Ray was still wrapped in a towel. Stephenson-Mr led them down a little street.

"Where are we going?" asked Ray.

"Here." replied David, gesturing to huge archway leading into a colossal warehouse.

"Here?" Ray asked, puzzled.

"This is Mr Stephenson's workshop. Your father and grandfather aren't the only inventors around. This is our work."David replied. Mr Stephenson wandered over to talk to other workers.

Suddenly a huge tank-like thing thundered past Ray and David in to a spot in the Warehouse.

**"**What's that?" Cried Ray in wonderment. He ran forward for a closer look, throwing off his towel.

**"**Our Steam Tank, Model Two." David replied, following slowly. "It runs fine on level ground, but it can't climb hills." He looked at the Steam Ball in his hands. "But with this ball..."

A young woman jumped off the huge tank. She looked slightly younger than David. She had long, shockingly red hair and curious green eyes. She was shorter than David by quite a bit. Ray was incredibly surprised to see she had trousers on. They were trousers that were clear too big for her. She had a dress on over the trousers but had rolled the dress up and tied it out of the way. Her top half was covered by a long-sleeved military-influence jacket. [ gallery/?catpath=scraps#/d3lp4y9] When she saw the two of them standing there her face lit up and she started waving excitedly. She ran over to them and embraced David so passionately he nearly fell over. When he had steadied her and adjusted his glasses again he cleared his throat pointedly. The girl blushed slightly.

"Oh where are my manners!" She twittered. "I'm Charlotte. Charlotte Wolfe. You're Ray right? Delighted to see you."

"Are you Mr David's wife?" asked Ray politely.

Charlotte giggled "No...But we are betrothed." She blushed as if even the thought of that made her happy.

"You look so familiar..." Ray said trying to place the highly distinctive Scottish accent.

"Aye, we have met before." Replied Charlotte "When you-"

Mr Stephenson's voice interrupted her mid-sentence. "David, there's no time. Connect the ball."

**"**Right away!" chimed both David and Charlotte and they dashed towards the tank.

**"**When the right adjustment valve starts to vent...put in the ball." instructed Stephenson.

"Aye!" replied Charlotte.

**"**Hurry! Stop wasting time!" David shouted at nearby workers.

Ray stood watching everything going on around him receiving occasional nods from David and brilliant grins from Charlotte.

_(While this was happening, outside the Queen opens exhibition. During a speech a messenger arrives and whispers something into Her Majesty's ear. She leaves shortly afterwards. A Miniature War commences outside. Simon was showing the World Military Leaders a "Product demonstration." This consisted of testing all the O'Hara Foundations new and advanced weaponry. It turns the Exhibition into a battle ground. Miss Scarlett confronted Simon as to why he was firing at Ray earlier. Simon makes excuses and Scarlett leaves to try and reason with Ray. Miniature war continues. Stephenson and the Admiral decided it was time to fight. They sent in armed police. Seeing the police, Simon decided it's time to bring out the Flying Corps. He signalled Alfred. Flying corps were brought out. Flying Corps blew stuff up)_

Back in the Warehouse David gazed interestedly at the Steam Ball.

"This is splendid, Ray. Look! Push it all we want, and it still doesn't blow! How much power does this ball have?!" David grinned. Mr Stephenson was on a boat on Thames with The Admiral. Charlotte was outside with the other workers.

Ray was looking suspiciously at all this. He had not been aware that Mr Stephenson planned to use the Steam Ball as a weapon also. Before he could say anything about it, Charlotte came running in.

"David!" She screamed. "The Exhibition has turned in tae a battle field!" She skidded to a stop, panting. "It's worse than...we expected. They've...brought oot...Flying Corps!"

"What?! A flying corps?" David cried in alarm.

**"**Aye! Flying all over the Exhibition!" Charlotte insisted.

"Don't be stupid! You're sure it's not just birds?" David asked, following Charlotte outside.

Charlotte pointed skyward in the direction of the Exhibition. "Look!" She cried.

Sure enough, there were the Foundation's work and Simon's most recent attempt at impressing the military leaders of the world: The Flying Corps.

**"**What an idea..." David said. "I wonder how long it took them to engineer something like that."

"It'd be fascinating if it wasnae so destructive..." commented Charlotte.

In the warehouse Ray made a decision - he started pulling levers and opening valves.

_(Flying Corps blow up more stuff)_

David started walking back towards the warehouse. He started talking animatedly about how the Flying Corps must work. "Generating that much horsepower takes not only high pressure, but knowledge of aerodynamics. At first, from those blueprints-" David stopped talking, suddenly noticing Ray fiddling with the machine. "What are you doing?" He asked puzzled.

"Taking the ball back." Replied Ray. He didn't pause for a moment. He kept on pulling levers and opening valves.

David chuckled disbelievingly. "...and why would you do that?"

"You just wanted Grandpa's plans." Ray replied.

"Finding them was hard. I got all muddy walking the fields along that track." David had started walking towards Ray again.

"I'll bet Grandpa never sent you a letter from Manchester" Ray accused, still not turning round but watching David out of the corner of his eye.

David's voice got strangely dangerous. "We've been watching the Foundation for a long time now..." David said, pausing to adjust his glasses "...and your family." Ray pulled the Steam Ball out of the machine. "Stop it Ray!" Yelled David. "We can't give you that Ball now!"

"Grandpa didn't invent it to be used like this!" Ray slowly turned round gesturing to the valuable item he now held in his hands.

David suddenly broke into a run. He moved so fast that Ray didn't see him. "Give it back!" David skelped Ray across the face. Ray wasn't ready or expecting it and he lost his balance and fell badly on the hard steel ground. Ray dropped the Steam Ball and it rolled a little way across the floor. He was winded. He could focus his eyesight on anything and he could only watch as David picked up the Steam Ball. David spoke as he examined it.

"I apologize." He adjusted his glasses again. "With the Exhibition a battlefield ... Mr Stephenson will be responsible if we lose now. British scientific technology will fall very far behind." He looked at Ray "Remember that."

Suddenly they are both distracted by Charlotte's helpless scream. They both looked up and saw her running into the Warehouse, closely followed by a member of the Flying Corps, who was gliding rather lopsidedly. "How'd he get here?" David said. Suddenly David gasped. David saw the recruit aim a bomb at Charlotte and then three things happened at once: David shouted Charlotte's name desperately, Charlotte's tied up dress came loose and she tripped over the hem and the soldier over-shot his target by about ten metres and crashed into the wall behind a machine near Ray and David.

**BOOM!**


	2. Chapter 2

An explosion ensues. Ray is mostly protected from the blast, by the Tank. He is knocked sideways. David, on the other hand, gets the full force of the explosion. He is thrown half way down the warehouse and his whole body spirals round in the air at least twice before hitting the ground intensely. He then is propelled a bit further, slamming into Charlotte, forcing her back roughly. A second explosion follows, destroying the whole back storage of the Warehouse.

Ray leapt up and ran to Charlotte and David. He pulled Charlotte to her feet and then together they pulled a nearly unconscious David toward the entrance of the Warehouse. Around ten workers from outside rushed to help them.

David regained consciousness long enough to whisper painfully to Ray. "Ray...the Ball..."

Ray ignored him and shouted to the workers. "Mr David's hurt!"

"Get him outside! Quick!" cried Charlotte.

Ray left David with Charlotte and ran back inside. Picking his way through the wreckage he scoops up the Steam Ball and runs outside past Charlotte and David and outside to the pier. There were men running everywhere and a huge ship came sailing past Ray. He skidded to a stop as he realized Charlotte was following him.

"Miss Charlotte!?" Ray cried. "Mr David is not going to have this ball!"

"I ken that! I'm coming tae help you! I saw what David did tae you and I'm hoping my help can make up for it!" She replied. She flashed one of her brilliant smiles and Ray nodded.

_(Miniature War continues. More stuff is blown up and a Submarine Corps is brought out.)_

Ray runs over to the side of the pier and looks round in a thoughtful but frantic way.

"Now whit?" Asked Charlotte.

"I have to save Grandpa and Father." Ray replied un-hesitantly. "Think, Ray. Think!"

"What aboot that?" Charlotte said, pointing over near a wall where an unconscious Flying Corp soldier lay.

"A flying machine..." Ray whispered as an idea began to form in his mind...

_ (Doctor Steam Goes to the Main Control Room and accesses that big gun with all the magnifying glasses and stuff. Miss Scarlett finds Doctor Steam in the Main Control Room where he is preparing to pilot Steam Tower. He demands a launch on 92% power with only 2 Steam Balls_

_ An explosion hits Steam Tower.)_

Back on the ground Ray was working steadily on repairing and changing the flying machine when Charlotte pointed up to the sky. "Whit is that?" She said trembling "is THAT Steam Tower?"

Ray looked up, horrified. "I've got to stop them."

"Who?" Charlotte asked.

"Father and Grandpa. They're in the Steam Tower. There's no way it's got enough power to work properly" He shouted desperately at the Steam Tower, knowing no one could hear him but helpless to do anything else. "It won't work! It'll explode! Father!"

"Superb! What a wonderful sight." A voice interrupted Ray's screaming. Charlotte and Ray whipped round to see David. His hair was dishevelled due to the bandages round his head. He had lost his glasses and was leaning on a wooden pole.

"David! Are you okay?" Charlotte cried, delighted to see him.

"Mr David?" Ray asked suspiciously, not so delighted.

"Watch now, as the world bows down to science!" David said, ignoring them both and still gazing at the now levitating Steam Tower.

Charlotte wondered if he was strong enough to be up and about. "We need tae get you hame tae lie doon!"

"What are you talking about?!" Ray cried at David, ignoring Charlotte's advice. "That thing could explode!" he yelled "Warn everybody!"

"Forget them!" David threw out, also ignoring Charlotte. He nodded in the direction of the flying device Ray had made. "We still have one Steam Ball."

"Mr Stephenson isn't going to have it!" Ray snapped

"Fine." David replied softly "That Steam Tower means the end of Robert Stephenson..."

"Whit!?" interjected Charlotte

David shook his head gently "...But I won't fall with him."

"Huh?" Ray asked, confused.

"What do you say, Ray-kun." David took a step towards Ray "Shall we start a workshop?" He proposed.

"David. Dinnae start." murmured Charlotte, trying to get David's attention.

"A workshop?" Ray's eyes narrowed dubiously.

"Yes." David nodded "The whole world will hear of this." He gestured at the Steam Tower behind Ray "Money will seek us out! In France, in America...even the British royal family. They will all want shares in our firm." David incited. He snickered to himself. "Why didn't I think of it before?! The steam ball's an invention without parallel..." He glanced in the direction of the Steam Ball and then back at Ray. "...and one Steam family genius remains with us."

"Stop it, David!" snarled Charlotte "He's no' interested! Let him by!"

"Shut up, Charlotte!" David shouted. He looked at Ray and gestured to Ray's newly made, flying device. "One who can understand that flying machine at a glance...and repair and improve it." He smirked "That's splendid, Ray."

Charlotte had been afraid that Ray would give in to temptation like David but Ray persisted. "There are hundreds of people in that Steam Tower, including my Father and Grandpa. Move! I'm going to warn them."

David's eyes flashed defiantly "And if I don't?"

Ray held his ground though. "I don't have time to argue."

"I really hate to do this..." David said in a disappointed voice, slowly turning round and limping away from Ray and Charlotte. "...but I'm not going to lose you or that ball!"

With the last few words David broke in to a run and, raising his pole over his head, he struck the flying device so hard that a few of the bolts came out. The device started shuddering and blowing out steam.

"Stop it!" Ray yelled and he bolted towards David.

Charlotte got there first, however and she grabbed David's arm carelessly. She was smaller and weaker than David and didn't think about the fall out of her actions.

"Get off me, you foolish girl!" David threw his arm back and smacked Charlotte hard in the stomach. Charlotte was driven away on to the ground. She fell backwards and tried to use her arms to break her fall. However, she landed very badly. She was winded and stared as Ray bounded onto David's back nearly causing him to topple over. David, needing two hands to detach Ray, drops the pole.

The jets of steam flowing from the flying device intensify. A wide jet of steam surges towards them knocking them both over. Ray is protected from it by David's body. The steam hits David's face and freezes on him. David cries out from the excruciating pain.

"Serves you right!" muttered Ray.

"David!" shrieked Charlotte. She pushed herself on to her feet and meandered over to him, teetering slightly as pain seared savagely through her arm. She ignored it to run to David's side. "David. Are you okay?" The ice on David's face began to crack and fall off leaving angry red marks on David's skin. "Oh... Davy, dinnae worry." Charlotte put her arms round David's shoulders, not knowing what else to do but her voice was wobbling as the pain in her arm screamed in protest.

"I need a clamp." Ray looked round wonderingly. Ray couldn't find a clamp. Suddenly he noticed the unconscious Flying Corps member. He went over to him. Ray took off the soldiers clothes and put them on himself. They didn't fit him perfectly but they would have to do. He picked up his spanner and moved gingerly towards the flying device. Steam was gushing out of it now. The soldier's clothes protected Ray but he would have to be quick.

"Ray!" Cried Charlotte "Whit are you doing!?"

"There's no time!" Ray called back. He turned to the dangerous steam "Guess I'm stuck." Grasping his spanner tightly he fumbled in the steam for the bolts.

_ (Meanwhile, more shots are hitting Steam Tower and Steam decides to change course. Miss Scarlett watches him.)_

Ray finally reseals the bolts on the flying machine he had made. The steam stops discharging. But Ray doesn't rest.

"There!" He said, pleased. "Now I just need to manipulate the pressure... "Uh...Ray." Charlotte sputtered. "What now, Miss Charlotte!? I don't have any time to-" Ray, turning round, notices Steam Tower, not heading the way it was heading before. He gasps. David, his face now fully clear of ice, could see it too. "It's coming this way." He whispered Ray hurriedly turned back to his work. "Drat!" Then suddenly, he had it! "Now I fly! Goodbye Charlotte! Thank you for your help!" Ray lifted off in to the sky. Charlotte and David gazed after him in wonder.

END OF CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

_(Ray, Miss Scarlett, Doctor Steam and Doctor Lloyd save everyone and so on. End of the film.)_

Later, David woke up in a house he didn't recognise. He was in a bed in the corner of a large living room. Charlotte was there, dabbing his head with a damp cloth.

"David? Can you hear me?"

David nodded. "Where are we?"

"Kurt's house." Charlotte answered gently.

"Who's house?" David enquired

"Kurt. He was one of the manual workers that helped me pull you out of the water. Dinnae worry. We wilnae be here much longer."

"Water...?"

"You dinnae remember? After Ray left I tried tae take you somewhere safe but you wouldnae go. We found Mr Stephenson but when he tried to stop Steam Tower by attaching chains attached to trains tae it, it didnae work. In the confusion, we were both knocked into the water. You were already badly hurt and tae weak to swim; my arm is broken so I could barely keep myself afloat never mind you. I did try though!" Charlotte said defensively. "Anyway, Kurt and another man jumped in tae save us. He took us back here. The doctor has already been. He says you'll be fine you just need tae rest. He thinks you have broken ribs though, so be careful." She revealed her arm in a cast and sling. "He says I'll be fine too."

Kurt came through carrying some tea on a tray. "Oh good, he came round. How are you feeling Mr David?" He asked amiably.

"I'm fine, thank you. Also, thank you for your hospitality."

"It's no problem" Kurt replied smiling. He handed around the tea.

After a few minutes of silently drinking tea, David shot up in bed. "Charlotte!" He cried "The Steam Ball! What happened to it!?"

"Ray took it. Remember?" Charlotte put her hands on David's shoulders and gently pushed him back into a lying position.

"Yes, but then what happened to it? And Steam Tower?"

"I think Steam Tower was destroyed. It came down with a deafening cacophony of banging and clanging and yelling and running and smashing and-"

"Yes, thank you. I understand" He interrupted irritably. "So it's gone..." he said more to himself than anyone else.

Charlotte sat back and thought to herself _to be honest... I'm glad they're gone. Of course I was glad that it fell into our possession. For selfish reasons though, I'm glad they're gone. Without them, David will forget his delusional ambition._

She stroked his hair where the bandages were and smiled. "You're a traitor you know." She said softly

"What?"

As if he could read her thoughts, David remembered everything he's done before passing out.

_"Get off me you foolish girl!"_

_"Stop it Ray!"_

_"I really hate to do this...but I'm not going to lose you or that ball!" _

_"Shut up, Charlotte!"_

He sprang up "Charlotte" He said simply. His eyes said the rest. Charlotte smiled tenderly at him.

Kurt stood up and left the room. He could see they wanted to be alone.

After the door was shut David leaned forward in the bed and pulled Charlotte into his arms. She gasped and was glad of Kurt's absence. Something like this would be inappropriate in unfamiliar company. Locked in his embrace she heard him breathe words into her ear "I did a horrible job of showing it but I really do cherish you." He pulled away from her but kept his hands firmly on her upper arms. "And Love isn't a big thing." When Charlotte looked crushed, David smiled "its a million little things."

Charlotte beamed. She knew this was David asking for forgiveness. David never apologised. It just wasn't something he did. He hated admitting when he was wrong. Charlotte had learned to accept that about him. She took his hands and David knew he was forgiven.

"What dae we dae noo?" asked Charlotte gently.

"We leave." David replied firmly "We leave London, leave Ray and leave Stephenson."

"We could...go back tae my hame. In Scotland. If you wanted." Charlotte said timidly.

"Yes! Superb idea." David said, to Charlotte's surprise. "We'll go to Scotland, lay low for a while… We don't want Mr Stephenson finding us…" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes… That's what we'll do."

"Edinburgh! Edinburgh!" The announcer called to the waiting passengers as the train to Edinburgh started releasing steam, getting ready to go. "Last call for Edinburgh!"

David darted through the crowd, his hand firmly fastened round Charlotte's wrist. He tugged her through the crowd as she muttered. "We're going to miss it. We're going to miss it. I told you we had better hurry, but you didnae listen. We're going to miss it!"

She continued to say this right up until David pulled her into a compartment "Sit." He said, pushing her onto a seat, in a compartment as the train pulled away.

"Oh… We didnae miss it." She said dumbly. David sat in the seat opposite her and leaned on the table. "Whaur's the luggage?" Charlotte asked, glancing around.

"I gave it to the porter. He'll put it away." He replied "You've really not been paying attention, have you?"

"How long will we be on the train?" asked Charlotte, avoiding the question "I want tae get some sleep."

David raised his eye brows but did not push her. "It'll be about eight hours. Don't sleep too long though, alright? I want you to be able to sleep tonight."

Charlotte nodded and curled up on the seat, head leaning on the window. David gave a little smile and took his coat off. He draped it over her delicate shoulders. She smiled, without opening her eyes, and went to sleep.

An hour or so later, the guard came down the aisle asking for tickets. David got his out and had it punched. He also had Charlotte's and got that punched to.

Six hours later, Charlotte was boring David senseless with games of I-spy. "Can't you think of something else to play, dear?" he asked wearily. "We've been playing this for a solid hour."

Charlotte pouted but consented to give David peace to read his book.

Charlotte couldn't read as well as David. She had grown up on a farm, with no time to go to school. She had been too busy working. Whenever she had a free moment she would read books. Any books she could find, books on farming, hay-making, sheep-shearing and -her favourite- dictionaries. When she was sixteen, she had left Scotland to go to London to "earn her fortune" so to speak. After working in the mill for two years she had tried to get into a university but had been rejected, due to being "unable to speak proper English." Charlotte had been furious about this, as it clearly wasn't true…

_"Bunch o' ignorant, arrogant, bad-mannered racists!" She muttered angrily, pacing up and down the pavement. "Cannae speak English! I'll show them!" _

_She had been about to throw a rock through the university window when a hand caught her wrist_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you going to do with that stone?" asked a man's voice, worriedly. Charlotte turned round to find a tall dark-haired man standing there. "Can't we talk about this? My name is Robert Stephenson" _

_"Charlotte Wolfe." She replied. He took her to a quiet café and she told him her story. _

_After hearing it all, he asked if she would come and work for him. She agreed and that's where she met David._

"Charlotte?" David's voice interrupted her reminiscing. "Charlotte, we're here. Haymarket. Wake up."

Charlotte stretched and followed David off the train. She waited as he fetched the luggage.

David walked towards a group of waiting horse-and-carriages. Charlotte tugged on his sleeve. "They dinnae go to where we need to go." She gestured to a group of farmers. She walked over to a large man with a full head of brown hair and a big, fuzzy beard. "Gaun my way?" she said cheerily to him.

"Charlotte? Is that ye? It isn't, surely! Jings… Ye've git sae grown up!" he cried "Whit made ye come back?"

"I missed my family, Ruaridh. Also, I reckon is aboot time they met my man." She grinned and waved David forward. "Ruaridh, this is David, my fiancé. David, this is Ruaridh Mackay. I know him frae my childhood. He owns the Lockhart croft doon the road frae mines; he always used tae gie me a ride intae the city if I needed it!"

"Mah, bit yer accent's changed! You're a'maist Sassenach!" Ruaridh said and he laughed a good, hearty laugh.

David looked puzzled and Charlotte translated. "He means I'm almost English. Pay him nae heed. He's very rude!"

"You're richt, hen. I'm sorry, David. Did ye have a guid journey?"

"Yes, thank you." Replied David self-consciously, all too aware of his London accent.

"Can you run us tae the croft, please Ruaridh? Just like auld times?" Charlotte asked and flashed of her winning smiles.

"Aye, of course, lassie. Hop in." He replied hospitably.

During the journey, Charlotte tried to make some things clear to David. "Listen… David. Life here is very different to whit you're used tae. It's much less…" Charlotte struggled for an appropriate word, and then gave up "posh, nae offence. You've been used tae the luxuries of city life, but where I come frae…its no' like that. There's less tae eat, much less space and everyone's a lot mair…forward. Dinnae be put off though, please. They're friendly but they may well tease ye a wee bit. Dinnae worry aboot it though. They mean it in fun. A' right?"

"Yes… Of course." He nodded understandingly.

Charlotte visibly relaxed. "Good." She breathed.

After a while, Charlotte noticed that David was looking at the scenery with a puzzled expression on her face. She laughed. "Not used tae the countryside, eh?" She said gently. "Well, you'd better adapt quickly as you'll be living in it fer a while!"

"I've not seen land like this since trying to get Steam's plan's in Manchester." He commented.

"Aye…You will probably be mair than a wee bit muddy by the end o' this." She smiled.

"Heids up!" Interrupted Ruaridh "There's yer croft, ower there." He said, gesturing with one hand at a little cottage next to a large tree.

The couple clambered out and, as Ruaridh pulled away whistling, David gazed at the cottage. "_That's _your home?" He asked, amazed. "It's so small. I thought you said you had a big family."

"I dae. Big family, wee space. Trust me; it caused a whole load o' problems when I wis a bairn."

"A what?" David questioned

"A child." Charlotte translated. "Dinnae worry, they're will be a lot less folk noo, many of my wee brothers and sisters will have moved out."

So together, David and Charlotte walked toward the cottage.

David, filled with anticipation and a little nervousness, Charlotte, filled with excitement, love and a little fear?


End file.
